Research progresses on <I>septin</I> family

The septins are a family of proteins that are broadly distributed in almost all of eukaryotes except plants. septin was first identified in yeast as a protein that played a role in cytokinesis. With the recent advances in the field, the functions of these proteins become diverse in many organisms. In particular, the number of known mammalian septin family members has increased dramatically. They are now known to have many cellular roles such as cytokinesis, polarity determination, vesicle trafficking and membrane dynamics. Recently, more and more data suggest that some septin family members participate in the pathogenesis of different diseases including neoplasia, neurodegeneration and infections. These make the research of septins a hallmark in cell biology and pathology. In this review, we will summarize the major research progresses about septins in their classification, structure, biological function and the relationship with human diseases.